Field of the Vendée Martyrs

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusillades_du_Marillais
petit-patrimoine.com/fiche-petit-patrimoine.php?id_pp=49190_1
Better than a long speech, an extract from the book “Histoire de Vendée” by Deniau relates the tragic events of this place.“More than two thousand people were shot at Marillais from December 23-24, 1793 until April 8, 1794.
There were first executed the men taken with weapons in their hands and who had not been able to follow the Vendée army in the spree of Galerne.
Then the women and children, and finally everyone we could arrest.
Searches were carried out in all neighboring parishes.
The "patriots" of Saint Florent, especially animated by a sort of rage towards the unfortunate outlaws, not only pursued all those they could seize in the neighboring communes, but they also crossed the Loire...They paid emissaries to bring to Marillais all those who passed for "aristocrats" (generally small people) and each municipality gave them 25 pounds per person arrested.The victims were taken to this meadow at the foot of Mont-Glonne, where they were shot.In the midst of all these massacres, several good families from St-Florent dedicated themselves to saving some of these condemned men from death..."The monument is located near the Promenade Julien Gracq.